Hearing Aids

General Information About Hearing Aids

Roughly 20% of all people who need hearing aids actually get them. The majority of people don't realize that most hearing losses can be treated with hearing aids. Untreated hearing loss causes social stress, tension, and fatigue not only for the person with the hearing loss but also for family members, friends and work associates. Successful hearing aid users are those who are motivated to improve their communication by improving their listening and hearing. They have worked with their audiologist to learn what they can expect from hearing aids.

What Are The First Steps in Considering Hearing Aids?

First you should have a good understanding of your hearing loss. What kind of hearing loss do you have? Is it permanent? What does your audiogram say about what sounds you can and cannot hear? Once you understand your audiogram, you can begin to understand why it is you have trouble hearing in different situations.

How Does the Hearing Aid Clinic Work?

After you have been identified as a candidate for hearing aids, your audiologist will recommend that you return for a hearing aid consultation. If you are interested in hearing aids and return for the consultation, your audiologist will want to find out about your typical communication activities: at home with family, at work, in your social activities, and in your leisure time activities. You are a very important partner in this discussion. Your input will help to decide the type and style of hearing aid that is best for you. Your input will also help in deciding what hearing aid features you need.

What Hearing Aids Are Best for Me?

After you and your audiologist have talked about your listening needs, the audiologist will have a better idea of what hearing aid will best accommodate the hearing loss in your personal situation. The audiologist will take into account your hearing loss, your communication needs, and your budget in selecting your hearing aids. At the University of Kentucky we dispense primarily digital instruments. Digital hearing instruments represent the most advanced technology available today. These instruments actually contain a computer chip programmed by a computer. This offers the best method available on the market to match a particular hearing loss with the most prescriptive amplification needed. Flexibility and amazing fine-tuning capability are among the many benefits.